The present invention relates to a gaseous fluid regulator valve that reduces the energy requirements in a gas system where a pump will provide fluid at a pressure differential relative to an ambient pressure to a load. When using the regulator, the pump can run continuously but will not be under a working load except as the gas usage requires.
Various pneumatic systems having mechanical gas pumps are in use, and attempts to improve the overall system efficiency have concentrated on improving the pump efficiency. Pump efficiency is limited by the structure and type of operation of the pump itself and no substantial improvements can be realized. Efficiencies further can be improved by varying the pump rotation speed or displacement in a simple on/off, step wise or continuous fashion on the basis of demand for the fluid that is being pumped. Variation of the pump rotation speed or displacement is not always feasible because of the limitations on the system size, and type, and the costs of having controls for the functions. Most of the pneumatic systems use a pump with a constant throughput, that is, the pump has a constant volume displacement and runs at a constant speed. A pressure regulator or relief valve set at a particular pressure is used in such operation to control the system pressure. The pump will operate against the pressure controlled by the regulator so that there is a nearly constant pressure differential between the discharge and the intake sides of the pump. Thus, the power input to the pump is nearly a constant though the demand for the fluid is generally variable and even zero at times. In a vacuum system of course the system pressure is on the low pressure side of the pump and the pump operates against ambient pressure.